Stock Market & Financial Investment News

Rentech announces $150M investment from Blackstone's GSO CapitalRentech (RTK) announced that GSO Capital Partners LP, the credit investment arm of Blackstone (BX), will invest $150M in Rentech in the form of $100M of convertible preferred stock and a $50M term loan. The transactions closed on April 9. In connection with this investment, Blackstone/GSO appointed two members to Rentech’s Board of Directors: Douglas Ostrover, a senior managing director of Blackstone and co-founder of GSO Capital Partners, and Patrick Moore, the former chairman and chief executive officer of Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, a paper-based packaging company with significant wood fibre operations. Rentech also announced a settlement with Concerned Rentech Shareholders, whereby CRS will approve an additional member to join Rentech’s Board of Directors and the board’s newly formed Finance Committee. Proceeds from Blackstone/GSO’s investment will fund identified growth opportunities in Rentech’s wood fibre processing business. Rentech also announced changes to its Board of Directors today: Douglas Ostrover, senior managing director of Blackstone and co-founder of GSO Capital Partners, has joined the board. Mr. Ostrover brings shareholder representation and significant finance experience. He has personally overseen GSO’s deployment of $65 billion of capital. Mr. Ostrover will be the chairman of the board’s Finance Committee. Blackstone/GSO appointed Patrick J. Moore, former chairman and chief executive officer of Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, to the board.

Blackstone quickly raises $14.5B for new real estate fund, WSJ saysIn less than four months, Blackstone raised $14.5B from institutional investors for a new real estate fund, which plans to increase its total capital to $15.8B by raising an added $1.3B from retail investors, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing a memo sent Friday to investors in the new fund. The same day Blackstone agreed to use its previous real-estate fund to buy three hotels in Florida and Arizona from a group led by John Paulson’s firm for more than $1.2B, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter. Reference Link

Sunrun powers up for IPO later this year, WSJ reportsSunrun, a solar-energy company, is said to be working with Credit Suisse (CS) and Goldman Sachs (GS) on a potential IPO for later this year, sources tell The Wall Street Journal, which adds that the company was valued at $1.3B as of March 2014. Other solar companies that have gone public in recent years include residential solar installers like Vivint Solar (VSLR), backed by Blackstone (BX), and SolarCity (SCTY), backed by Tesla's (TSLA) Elon Musk. Reference Link